Key Developments
On 28 April 2026, the European Parliament approved an updated Generalised Scheme of Preferences to keep low or zero EU tariffs for developing countries, adding stricter rights and environmental conditions, according to the European Parliament. The European Commission said the new regime would apply from 1 January 2027 to 65 countries.
Key Statistics
- 459 votes in favour in the European Parliament plenary
- 127 votes against in the European Parliament vote
- 70 abstentions recorded in the vote
- 65 beneficiary countries under the new GSP, per the Commission
- 2,000,000,000 people potentially benefiting across participating countries, per Parliament
Main Body
On 28 April 2026, the European Parliament adopted the renewed regulation on the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences, which supports developing countries with reduced or zero tariffs, the European Parliament said. The plenary tally was 459 in favour, 127 against and 70 abstentions, the Parliament reported. The European Commission added that the updated GSP would apply from 1 January 2027 to 65 countries.
The Parliament said the update incorporated additional human rights and environmental conventions, introduced stricter criteria for suspending preferences linked to cooperation on the readmission of irregular migrants, and included safeguards for the EU rice sector. The Commission said the framework was designed to advance poverty reduction and sustainable development while reinforcing accountability on human rights and governance.
Parliament described the measure as a renewal of the GSP instrument that already supported sustainable growth in more than 60 countries, potentially benefiting over 2 billion people, highlighting continuity with existing EU development trade policy, according to the European Parliament. The emphasis on conditionality aligns with broader EU focus on rule of law and media freedom flagged ahead of Parliament’s assessment of the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report, the European Parliament noted.
The decision mattered for trade and development policy by preserving preferential access for low income partners while tightening standards compliance, the European Commission said. It came amid WTO reporting that Canada committed CAD 500,000 to the STDF to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary capacity in developing countries, underscoring wider international efforts to facilitate safe trade.
